Among all the complaints concerning the rowdy homecoming weekend at IUP earlier this month, the most incredulous was the fact that the revelers would not step aside to let an emergency vehicle pass.

Indiana Borough Council President Nancy Jones and Councilman Kevin Krevetsky were riding in a police car to “monitor homecoming emergencies” when suddenly they found themselves helping police rescue residents from the porch roof of a burning house on Maple Street.

Apparently the crowds would not get off the streets to allow firetrucks to pass, so the cruiser wound its way through alleys to the fire scene and were the first there to assist in the roof-top rescue. This could have been a real disaster, not only at the fire scene, but also if someone had run out in front of one of the emergency vehicles.

There is no excuse for this display of immaturity.

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A leftover item from IUP Homecoming:

Former head football coach Frank Cignetti was presented a plaque at halftime of the game between IUP and Millersville for his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Presenting the plaque was Fred Martinelli, of Ashland, Ohio, who represented the Hall of Fame. A former coach at Ashland, where he compiled a record of 217-119-12 in his 33-year career, Martinelli was himself inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002.

We had the opportunity to chat with him prior to the halftime ceremony and he had nothing but praise for Lucernemines native Bernie Kish, who served as executive director of the College Football Hall of Fame for 11 years. He noted that Kish was a dedicated and tireless worker in promoting the Hall of Fame’s mission across the nation and was responsible for its growth and development.

“Bernie did a great job in his years at South Bend,” he said. The hall was located at Notre Dame from its opening in 1995 until this year, when it was moved to Atlanta.

Kish had served 29 years in the United States Army and retired as a full colonel. Upon his retirement from the military he was selected from a pool of more than 400 candidates to serve as executive director of the Hall of Fame.

Among his many honors Kish also received the IUP Distinguished Alumni Award in 2004.

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Organizers of the 2014 Leader’s Circle Awards passed along a reminder that it’s still not too late to nominate someone who you think is deserving of an award.

The event, which is held each year in March, will honor recipients of the Male and Female Civic Leaders of the Year Award, the Athena Award, and the IUP President’s Medal of Distinction.

Nominations will be accepted until Nov. 1 and information is available at the Indiana County Chamber of commerce website, at indianacountychamber.com.

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Several former Indiana County natives who played their collegiate football at Edinboro were on hand at a tailgate party at Benjamin’s before the game at IUP on Saturday. John Chakot, who played at Blairsville, and is currently an assistant coach at Indiana Area High School, and former Penns Manor place-kicker Frank Berzansky, who was an assistant coach at Jeannette, are both Edinboro alums.